Circuit breaker



Nov. 15, 1927. 1,649,011

A. H. BAKKEN CIRCUIT BREAKER Filed'Nov. 26. 1920 WITNESSES: I INVENTOR Patented Nov. 15 1927. I

, UNITED STATES PATENT orF c ANDREW n. n'axxnn, or nnenwoon PARK, rnnnsvnvanm, assrenon r wns'rnvenousn ntnernrc & manurac'runme contrary, A- conrona'rron or rmmsvn- VANIAL.

cracurr BREAKER.

. Application filed November 2c, 1920,; serialii'o. 426,414.

My invention relates to circuit brealrers and particularly to the operating mechanism whereby the same are opened and closed, either automatically or manually.

The object of my invention 15 to provide an operating mechanism that shall be more simple and efficientthan thoseheretofore employed and one whereinthe automatic signalling device normally associated withapparatus of this kind may be appliedin a simple and convenient manner. 1

Heretofore, in operating mechanisms of this character, the connections whereby signalling circuits were actuated, and the construction of the locking mechanism for the moving parts, have ;been complicated in design, where a high degree of efliciency was in the accompanying drawing wherein- Figure 1 is side view, partially 1n elevation and partially in section, of a POItIOH Of .a circuit breaker, with my device embodled therein. k f 25 Fig. 2 is a detail plan view showing the manner in which the operating lever and handle are assembled, and

Fi 3 is a detail view of a portion of the latching mechanism. 1'

3 The mechanism is mounted ona anel 3,

which may be of the usual form, an is supported'by a cover plate 4 which, at its lower end, has a housing 5 within which is carried a solenoid 6..that receivescurrent, through leads 7, to actuate an armature '8. -'The armature 8 operates in the usual 1 manner upon the occurrence of overloads on the circuit to actuate a trip member Or -trigger 9 as will be hereinafter described more fully.

An operating rod 10 is pivotally connected at 11 to a usual. operatinglever'12 that is pivoted in the cover plate 4 at 13: and the other end of which is provided with a lug 14 in position to be engaged by the outermost end of the trigger 9. The operating lever 12, which consists of a single bar, lies :between two sidei menibers 15 which constitnte apart of thefh'andle. The members 15 are also pivotally'supported at 13. A yoke member 16 is pivoted at 17 to the bars 15, and is provided with a hole 20 that is larger than the pivot pin 21 which extends therethrough.

The pivot pin 21 likewise extends through $1011 to prevent accidental disengagement- .armature 8 to move a pllunger 25 upwardly t ragnre p t no embodiment, of my nvention is shown vengage the handle and the housing member the side members 15 of the handle but has snug engagement therewith. Inthe outer end of the yoke, a grip member 22 is secured. The tri ger'9 is pivoted at v21 andhas its upper en lying over the lug 14 to normally maintain the operating lever 12 in its down, or closed position.- The trigger also has a projection '23 that engages the pivot member 17 to limit the downward movement-thereof when the operating lever has been released.- 4 spring '24 holds the trigger 9 under tenthereof by the operating lever 12. When an overload occurs-in the circuit, the solenoid 6 is energized to such degree as-to cause the and'thereby disengage e trigger 9 from the '7 operating lever, to allowv the latter to move to open position. I

A latch 26, is pivotally supported on the pin 21 and has its opposite ends bent over to- 5, rgcslpectively, and hold-the handle in its f clos position. By reason of'the 'connection between the handle and the operating lever, through the trigger 9', the operating lever normally occupies the same position as the handle. v The spring 24, besides normally maintain ing the trigger 9 in operative position,-also maintains the latch 26in locking engagement.

By reason of thelost motion connection of the handle portion 16 to the pivot 21,9 lifting movement 'on the grip member 22 will move the latch 26,about the pivot 21 and release it from engagement With the housing 5, thereby permitting the handle and operating lever to be manually raised.

- Terminal members 30. and 31 are provided which are connected to an auxiliary circuit (not shown). When the circuit is completed across these terminals, a signal device, such as a bell, is actuated.

The terminal member 30' is normally in resilient engagement with the side members 15, being insulated therefrom by a block 32. The terminal member 31 has a small ,insulated block member 33 secured to the outer end thereof, of such size that it can pass between the side members 15 of the handle and operating lever 12.

When the parts are in the positions shown in Fig. 1, there is no connection between the which notifies the attendant that the main circuit has been automatically opened. However, when the handle is released, it and the operating lever move upwardly in unison and the terminal members and 31 do not engage with one another, but move to the positions shown in dotted lines.

'Near the outer end of the operating lever 12, I mount an auxiliary switch which is automatically operated to close an auxiliary circuit for indicating, by visible signals, the position of the circuit breaker. This switch apparatus consists of a movable contact member 35 with insulated ends 36 and 37 in position to be engaged by the upper edge of the operating lever 12, as it moves up and down during the respective opening and closing movements of the circuit breaker.

The movable contact member 35 alternately opens and closes the circuit between the ter- 'minals' 38 and 39 and the terminals 38 and When the switch is closed, as illustrated in Fig. 1, an auxiliary circuit is closed, across the terminals 38 and 40, thereby showing, for instance, a red lam which will indicate that the circuit brea er is closed. When the operating lever 12 is in the position indicated by dotted lines, an auxiliary circuit is closed across the terminals 38 and 39 to illuminate a white lamp for showing that the circuit breaker is open.

It will be seen that, whether the operatin lever is automatically released, by reason 0 its release from the trigger 9, or is manually moved to open osition, by reason of the handle, the visib e signals will be actuated, but, when the operating lever is released automatically, by tripping of the trigger under overload, both the audible and the visible signals will be actuated.

Various modifications may be made in the device without departin from the scope of the invention, as set fort in the accompanying claims.

claim as my invention;

1. In combination, in a circuit breaker, an operating lever normally held in closed position, a handle for manuallyv controllin the .movement of the operating lever, a trigger pivoted in the handle in position to nor mally lock the operating lever in closed position, magnetically-operated means for actuating the trigger, a latch pivoted in the handle and adapted to engage a fixed member to hold the handle in closed position, and

a spring for normally holding the trigger means for normally and the latch in locking engagement with the operating lever and the fixed member, respectively.

2. In combination, in a circuit breaker, an operating lever normally held in closed position, a handle for normally controlling,

the movement of the o erating lever, a trigger pivoted in the ban le in position to normovement of the handle will move the latch out of locking engagement.

3. In combination, in a circuit breaker, an

operating lever, a handle for manually controlling the movement thereof, said handle being made in two parts pivoted together at one point and having a lost-motion connection at another point, a latch pivoted on the outer portion of the handle and ada ted to engage a fixed member to lock the dle in.closed position, said handle being so mounted that movement of the outer portion of the handle will disengage the latch.

from the said fixed membe 4. In a circuit breaker r. an bperating' lever,

means for normally holding said lever in closed position, electro-magnetically-actuated mechanism for automatically actuating said holding means, a signal switch auto matically closed by the movement of said operating lever when automaticall released, and a second si nal switch whic is automatically closed by said lever when opened either automatically or manually.

5. In a circuit breaker an operating lever, holding said lever in closed position, electro-magnetically-actuated mechanism for automatically releasing .the lever, a manually-controlled lever for-actuating the operating lever, a signal switch, means for automatically closing said switch 'when the operatinglever is released, a second signal switch, and means for automatically closing said second switch when the operating lever is either automatically or manually moved to open position.

- 6. In a circuit breaker, an operating lever, a handle normally controllin the movement of said lever, means norma ly locking the lever in closed position, means normally locking the handle in closed position, and a spring connection between said two locking means whereby they are yieldingly held in operative position.

7. The combination with a circuit interrupter, of automatic actuating mechanism therefor,.means for manually actuating the interrupter, an auxiliary switch, and means for normally operating the switch only upon the automatic actuation of the interrupter.

. I 8; The comb'nation with circuit interrupte ,-of tw o operatin mechanisms there irupte'r, of automatic actuating mechanism for, two 'auxlliary swite es, means whereby 'therelfor, means for maniially actuating the one switch is controlled. by hut one of the interrupter, "an auxiliary swltch, means for said mechanisms, and means for automati- 5 operati g the said switch upon the auto-- callyactuating the other switch upon the v maticiactuation pithe interrupter, a second operation of elther of said mechanisms;

auxiliary swit'h,-jand-' me'ans vfor operating In testimony whereof, I have hereunto the said second switch whenthe. interrupter subscribed my-name this 4th day of Novemis manually o erated. ber

10 9. The oom ination. with a chant-inter. A H. BAKKEN. 

